Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers want him to be held under house arrest so that he can get access to medical care and treatment.

His lawyer R. Sivarasa claimed that Anwar’s health is deteriorating rapidly in Sungai Buloh prison as he is not being provided access to required treatment.

The former Opposition Leader had previously been admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur on June 2 before being discharged on June 5.

“At the very minimum, even if the request for house arrest is denied, he must be hospitalised for a sufficiently long time to comprehensively deal with all his medical issues, said Sivarasa in a statement on Tuesday.

He claimed that the doctors had told Anwar he requires further evaluation and treatment relating to a number of medical issues including irregular blood pressure, a 4cm growth on his kidney that requires a CT scan, gastritis that requires a gluten-free diet, and a shoulder muscle tear and chronic arthritis that require intensive physiotherapy.

Sivarasa added that the prison said it had received no medical reports from the hospital requesting further testing and it has no facilities for any testing or treatment of the conditions.

He said that Anwar was visited once briefly by a physiotherapist who provided some minimal manipulation therapy since his discharge.

“Anwar is being held in solitary confinement in a bare cell, having a bucket for bathing, a squat toilet, and being held in hot and humid conditions with minimal ventilation are exacerbating his health problems,” Sivarasa said, adding that Anwar has lost 6kg since his initial detention.

He also claimed that Anwar is harassed by being checked every 15 minutes in his cell, around the clock.

Anwar was jailed in February for five years for sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Tony Pua has been urged to withdraw from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), in view of his prejudicial views over the probe into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the government was now in the midst of searching for the truth to resolve issues affecting 1MDB.

He said the DAP politician, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara MP, liked to issue judgmental comments while the PAC investigation into 1MDB was still ongoing.

"He should leave the PAC. He will not only shame the PAC, but also the Parliamentary system itself.

"He should be more responsible," Ahmad Shabery told reporters at a function, here, Monday.

The minister also described the action by Pua, who had the tendency to criticise the 1MDB, as bringing down his own integrity.

"Thus he is no longer qualified to sit in the PAC. He makes biased statements, he should be ashamed, his party should be ashamed, his supporters and those associated with him should also feel ashamed," Ahmad Shabery added.

Earlier, lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah suggested that Pua withdrew from the PAC to enable investigation into 1MDB to proceed in a transparent and fair manner.

However, the statement was perceived by Pua as an effort to block him from expressing himself.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) will co-operate with authorities and are confident that the probe on the arrested former PetroSaudi staff will be conducted thoroughly.

"1MDB notes press reports on Wednesday on the arrest of a former PetroSaudi staff for attempted blackmail and extortion in relation to proprietary email information belonging to PetroSaudi. We further note that initial probes show that some leaked emails were tampered with," Wednesday's statement read.

"1MDB is confident that the lawful authorities will thoroughly investigate, establish the facts and take appropriate action under the law. As stated previously, 1MDB pledges its full co-operation with the lawful authorities in their ongoing investigations on this matter," it said.

On Wednesday, the Bangkok Post quoted acting commander of the Royal Thai Police’s Crime Suppression Division, Pol Col Akaradech Pimonsri said that Former PetroSaudi exec Xavier Justo, 49, was paid the equivalent of 140mil baht (RM15.51mil) to leave the company after he was found to have “behaved against the company’s rules and regulations."

Pimonsri also accused the former IT executive of demanding another 90mil bath (RM9.98mil) from the company in exchange for not disclosing confidential information to rival companies.

Justo was arrested at a house at Koh Samui on Monday, allegedly for leaking information information to the London-based Sarawak Report website for several reports about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Justo has denied the allegations.

On Tuesday, PetroSaudi said that they had been "the victims of a regrettable crime that has unfortunately been politicised in Malaysia" via a press statement. PetroSaudi added that they are happy to "finally set the record straight."

PetroSaudi had become embroiled in the 1MDB controversy after a joint-venture deal between the two companies was said to have been orchestrated by business tycoon Low Taek Jho.

Former PetroSaudi exec Xavier Justo was paid the equivalent of 140mil baht (RM15.51mil) to leave the company after he was found to have “behaved against the company’s rules and regulations,” said Pol Col Akaradech Pimonsri, acting commander of the Royal Thai Police’s Crime Suppression Division.

Pimonsri is quoted in Thailand’s Bangkok Post as saying that Justo, 49, later demanded another 90mil bath (RM9.98mil) from the company in exchange for not disclosing confidential information to rival companies.

Justo, a former IT executive at the company, was arrested at a house at Koh Samui on Monday, allegedly for leaking information information to the London-based Sarawak Report website for several reports about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

He has denied these allegations.

"We are relieved that Mr Justo will now face justice through the courts. We have been the victims of a regrettable crime that has unfortunately been politicised in Malaysia.

"We are happy to finally set the record straight and we apologise to the Malaysian people for the harm that one of our unscrupulous ex-employees has caused to them," a spokesperson for PetroSaudi said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders may have discussed the formation of a new coalition at a recent ‘buka puasa’ gathering.

DAP, PKR, and PAS progressives MPs and leaders who attended the gathering at the residence of Tumpat MP Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (pic) on Tuesday night were all smiles as they sat together in a large group.

The photograph of the group was later uploaded by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok to her Facebook page.

“I felt happy and surprised to meet so many friends from the PAS progressives group who came from outside Selangor such as Salahuddin Ayub, Suhaizan Kaiat, Dr Mujahid (Yusof Rawa), Dr Hatta Ramli and others.

“I told them this is the first time I’ve seen the progressive leaders in PAS so united,” she said on her page.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is being responsible by
staying put as Prime Minister to solve the current problems in the
country, says Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

He said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir’s Mohamad’s claim that
Najib refused to quit because he was afraid of possible prosecution did
not hold water.

“He is not afraid. He is staying on because he is prepared to face
the problems and find solutions,” said Tajuddin, who is also Agriculture
and Agro-Based Industry Deputy Minister.

Tajuddin said Najib had admitted that there were issues relating to
1MDB as well as in the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax.

“Najib wants to stay on because he wants to solve these problem, he
wants to be accountable whereas an irresponsible leader will just walk
away.

“He has announced that he will fix all these problems so let’s give him time.”

In a video clip taken during a closed door meeting with
non-Government groups last week, Dr Mahathir had alleged that Najib was
refusing to quit because he was scared by the possibility of facing
criminal charges.

On the former prime minister’s earlier allegations that enforcement
bodies were afraid to probe Najib, Tajuddin said it was “absurd”.

“Nowadays there is simply nowhere and nothing that one can hide from being exposed.”
Tajuddin said the people should realise that Malaysia faced more
problems during Dr Mahathir’s tenure as Prime Minister, including
economic downturns in the 1980s and 1997 as well as controversies such
as Perwaja Steel and the plan to build the Twin Towers.

“Dr Mahathir stayed on and settled all the problems one by one and as a result what we have today is his legacy.

“Compared with Dr Mahathir who served as PM for 22 years Najib has only been there for six, so what do you expect?” he asked.

On the Wall Street Journal report alleging that money from
1MDB was used to fund Barisan Nasional during the last general election,
Tajuddin said it offered no proof that any money used during the
election came from the fund.

“Were they even present during the general election and did they calculate how much money was allegedly spent?

“This is not fair as they are wild allegations,” Tajuddin said.

He said Barisan was not desperate for 1MDB’s help, as the coalition
had managed to go through 12 general elections before the fund was set
up.

Tajuddin said parties slandered by the report could sue the publication if they found the allegations to be damaging.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad does not like to lose but it looks like he is losing in the fight to take down Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak because Umno wants to give the Prime Minister time to sort out the 1MDB issue.

WHEN Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad started his attacks on the Prime Mi­­nister several months ago, a family member of the elder statesman said “he always goes for broke”.

The family member was not kidding.

Dr Mahathir seems intent to go all the way in his fight against Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He has stepped it up and taken his accusations to the international media, repeating everything he has said at home and more.

The Umno die-hards, especially Dr Mahathir’s peers, are horrified.

They pointed out that he used to be so touchy about people criticising the country and its leaders on the international stage, almost to the point of it being taboo, and there he was doing the same thing.

The interviews he gave to several international publications have touched on the 1MDB issue, the flashy lifestyle of the Prime Minis­ter’s wife, their daughter’s lavish wedding and the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Well, times have changed and Dr Mahathir, as they say, “can do as he likes”. He is like James Bond – he has a licence to kill, metaphorically speaking, of course.

Malaysia’s James Bond is not used to losing but it does look like he is not going to win this fight.

And it is not solely because Najib has been able to resist the pushing but because the rest of Umno has refused to go along with the former prime minister.

Umno has chosen to go with Najib. It is crystal clear by now that the party has decided to rally around Najib and to give him a chance to resolve the 1MDB debacle.

Najib has had a series of meetings with party leaders at all levels, from division heads down to the three wings, and the word is that the party wants him to stay.

They want to give him time to sort out the 1MDB problems and put into effect the restructuring plans for the investment fund.

Umno’s power starts at the division level and an overwhelming number of the division leaders are with Najib.

Equally important, says Titi­wangsa MP Datuk Johari Ghani, the Cabinet and the Umno supreme council have also agreed to give him the breathing space to solve the issue.

They have agreed to wait for the outcome of the Auditor-General’s report as well as the Public Accounts Committee inquiry.

“The support for the PM is quite total. This is the situation, we want to give him the chance to work things out,” says Johari.

The Umno rationale, says Johari, is not unlike that in the years when the party gave Dr Mahathir the be­­nefit of the doubt to resolve issues like the Perwaja Steel scandal and stood by him through his controversial fight with the Malay rulers.

There has also been a tipping point of sorts among the Umno rank-and-file.

The perception is that the former premier’s attacks are damaging Umno and it has made the party that he dominated for 22 years uncomfortable.

“He says he loves the party and wants to strengthen the party but what he did has the opposite effect. You go and ask anyone in Umno, they will tell you: Enough is enough,” says Temerloh Umno division chief Datuk Sharkar Sham­sudin.

There are a string of other reasons why Umno is not with Dr Mahathir this time.

For sure, they are not happy about 1MDB but they do not believe him when he says that it will bankrupt the country.

They also disagree with him that Umno will be a gone-case in the next general election. They think Pakatan Rakyat is the more likely gone-case given what is happening in the broken coalition.

They also do not want a half-way bridge to Singapore, it does not make sense to them. They do not mind what they think is the unspoken wish of Dr Mahathir – to see his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz rise in Umno – but it must not be at the expense of toppling a sitting Prime Minister.

And most of all, they do not agree that the 1MDB billions are “missing”, as Dr Mahathir puts it..

Dr Mahathir taking the grievan­ces to the international media has aggravated the situation. Umno po­­li­ticians are essentially Malay nationalists and they see it as bad-mouthing the country.

“He will not stop until someone else takes over, then it may start all over again. Of course, I don’t agree with that. The quarrelling is not good for the country,” says Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Many in Umno think Dr Maha­thir’s bid to bring down Najib has turned obsessive.

He has started to introduce the perception that there is criminal wrongdoing in the 1MDB deals.

He told The New York Times that Najib wants to leave his own legacy and is “verging on criminal”.

It is a hint of just how far below the belt this fight may go.

Some say that Dr Mahathir is the one who is worried about his legacy.

But his greatest legacy is taking the country from an agricultural economy to the industrial and mo­dern age that will grow even stronger as Malaysia develops.

However, his attacks have da­­maged Najib as well as himself and his standing in Umno is not what it used to be.

Sharkar, who is also Lanchang assemblyman, pointed out that Dr Mahathir was able to stay up there for 22 years because Umno gave him 100% support.

“We did not try to push him down but he is now trying to push down the man who we elected as our leader.”

A PAS MP linked to the progressives group has given the party a 100 day ultimatum to go back to the days when it was more inclusive or face a new Islamic party.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said that many people did not see the new direction the party wanted to bring as being promising or in line with their wishes.

“I am worried the rakyat will not give the party 100 days. I think many people are beginning to leave PAS…or have less faith in them,” he told the Star Online when contacted on Tuesday.

The ultimatum he said follows PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah who requested that the party’s new leadership be given 100 days to prove themselves.

Khalid said that when PAS was under the leadership of the late Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and late Datuk Fadzil Noor, the party adopted an inclusive approach.

“There was unity in the membership. They were very sincere with the NGOs and the component parties of both Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat. They were able to portray that the political Islam PAS is bringing was to ensure justice. Irrespective of whether you are Muslim or otherwise,” he said.

Khalid however denied that a new party would have anything to do with Pasma but rather the so-called progressives of the party.“We are not bothered about losing our posts. We care about the direction of the party,” he said referring to the recent party elections where the progressive group were sidelined in favour of the “ulama” group in the party.

Friday, June 19, 2015

In his New York Times interview, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the reason why Malaysia has managed to remain stable and to grow economically all these years was because there was one big coalition of parties.

Actually, the ‘one big coalition of parties’ still exists until today. It is called Barisan Nasional and it was formed by Tun Razak Hussein back in 1973. Barisan Nasional -- unlike Pakatan Rakyat that was formed in 2008 and has now already broken up -- has not closed down, as Dr Mahathir seems to suggest.

Dr Mahathir also suggests that because Barisan Nasional has broken up it is going to lose the next general election and he also suggests that this is going to cause instability. First Dr Mahathir says that Barisan Nasional has broken up. Then he says this break up is going to cause Barisan Nasional to lose the next general election. Thirdly, because of this the country is going to be unstable.

Dr Mahathir said in that interview that democracy is about the right of the people to choose their own leaders. Then he says if the people do this and do not choose Barisan Nasional then Malaysia would be unstable. So what is Dr Mahathir really trying to say because he sounds very confused?

Dr Mahathir calls Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak a criminal. A criminal is someone who has been convicted of a crime. Najib has not been convicted of any crime. The only thing that has happened is Dr Mahathir is saying that unless Najib can prove his innocence then it must be assumed he is guilty.

I wonder what the foreign media must be thinking of Dr Mahathir’s inconsistent and contradictory statements. He is beginning to sound extremely incoherent that it has become an embarrassment to Malaysia.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

All crew of the MT Orkim Harmony are safe and hijackers on board are being persuaded to surrender, said Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

In his Twitter account on Thursday, Abdul Aziz said they promised the suspects that they would not be harmed by authorities.

"MT Orkim Harmony: KD Terengganu is shadowing the vessel and is in communication with the Vessel's captain. All crew are safe and unharmed," he tweeted.

When contacted, Abdul Aziz confirmed that the vessel had been detected, bearing a new coat of pain and a new name.

"We are currently monitoring and shadowing the ship. We will wait for the opportune moment to retake the ship," he said.

He added that the next course of action was currently being discussed.

"We have to get the consent of the owner and we also have to take the necessary precautions. Whatever it is, we are prepared," he said.

The tanker, which was carrying 5,000 tonnes of RON95 fuel belonging to Petronas worth RM21mil, left Malacca on Thursday and was to arrive at Kuantan Port at 10.30am the next day, but communication was lost at about 8.54pm.

The MMEA was notified almost 10 hours later at 6.30am the next day that it had gone missing.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

It is not a new political party being planned, just the idea of setting up a non-governmental organisation (NGO), says Datuk Seri Nazir Razak.

"I refer to recent news reports that I am setting up a new political party. This is not true," said the CIMB Group chairman in a statement Wednesday.

Nazir, who is also the brother of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, said that he had been growing "increasingly concerned" about the Malaysian socio-political environment and its impact on the economy.

"In this context, I have had conversations with like-minded friends, including Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, about the need to better enable moderate Malaysians to voice their views, concerns and suggestions," said Nazir.

"We have discussed setting up an NGO, but it remains just an idea at this moment," he said.

A news report said Nazir was starting a new non-partisan party to reach out to all races emerged on Tuesday.

It said that Nazir has been meeting with business leaders in the United Kingdom and Kuala Lumpur to discuss the starting of a new non-partisan party to reach out to all races.

The report came out after DAP's announcement that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition was dead, saying it no longer existed after the motion by PAS to sever ties with DAP.

The top PKR leadership has decided that the party is on the same page as DAP regarding the “end of Pakatan Rakyat” but insists that the broken ties will not affect the composition of the Selangor government.

The Selangor government, said party sources, will continue to function as a loose coalition of assemblymen who support Azmin Ali as the Mentri Besar.

According to sources, the unique political arrangement was decided at a political bureau meeting on Tuesday night and it is believed to have received the blessings of PKR asdvisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

DAP and PAS leaders have also been briefed on the decision, which is expected to be announced later Wednesday.

Relations in Pakatan had broken down between PAS and DAP over a number of issues, including the proposed hudud law by PAS in Kelantan.

On Tuesday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng caused ripples with his announcement that Pakatan had “ceased to exist”.

The two warring parties have traded angry accusations against each other and the DAP-led government in Penang has taken the drastic step of pressuring PAS politicians to resign from their appointed posts in the state government.

A new political party is in the making, but despite speculation saying otherwise, Datuk Seri Nazir Razak will not be involved, said a source close to the CIMB group chairman.

The source rubbished a news report linking Nazir, who is also Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's brother, to the new party.

The report also said that Nazir had been meeting business leaders in Britain and Kuala Lumpur to discuss the setting up a new non-partisan party, and had approached Global Movement of Moderates chief Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to become the public face of the party.

It said that despite being respected as a moderate, Saifuddin lacked the clout needed to attract support and Nazir had to be the prime mover or it would not work.

Attempts to contact both Nazir and Saifuddin were unsuccessful.

The report comes amidst strained relations in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, with a widening rift between PAS and DAP.

1Malaysia Develop­­ment Bhd has defended itself against criticism by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by addressing various issues, from the Cabinet being unaware of a fund-raising exercise for its start-up in 2009 to events leading to its investments in Cayman Islands increasing to US$2.318bil (RM8.57bil).

The fund that is wholly owned by the Finance Ministry has come under relentless attacks from not only Dr Mahathir but also some ministers for its cash-flow problems in meeting obligations for its debts of RM42bil.

Rebutting allegations that a Cabinet paper was not prepared for the Government guarantee that allowed 1MDB to raise RM5bil in Islamic bonds in 2009, the fund said the matter was prepared and approved by the Cabinet.

It also said the RM5bil Islamic bond issuance was fully underwritten by AmBank, which earned all the commission and not Goldman Sachs.

The other contentious issues raised by Dr Mahathir that 1MDB addressed were:

> The interest per annum on the RM42bil loan is RM2.4bil, and not RM3bil;

> The RM5bil Islamic debt paper was issued at a yield of 6.15%, not 7% as alleged, and that it was fair given the tenure of the paper stretching over 30 years;

> The RM2bil loan furnished by billionaire T. Ananda Krishan’s Tanjong group to 1MDB in February was in accordance with an agreement signed between both parties on Aug 7 last year;

> The Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) land was acquired for RM230mil, not RM320mil as alleged. 1MDB has to build the infrastructure for the TRX development that comes up to RM1,500 per sq ft;

> PetroSaudi International (PSI) injected oil fields in Turkmenistan and Argentina worth about US$2.7bil into a JV company which 1MDB paid US$1bil for a 40% stake. Dr Mahathir alleged that PSI did not “inject a single cent” into the JV company; and

> The 40% stake in PSI was later converted into an Islamic loan. 1MDB’s total exposure to PSI between September 2009 and June 2012 came up to US$1.83bil. The loans were converted to equity and eventually sold for US$2.318bil, an exercise that 1MDB claims earned it a return of US$488mil.

1MDB said the US$2.318bil was put in a Cayman Islands-registered fund and in return it received “fund units”.

“These fund units were owned by 1MDB via its 100% subsidiary, Brazen Sky, and held through BSI Bank Singapore as custodian,” it said in a statement yesterday.

The value of the investments held by Brazen Sky in BSI Bank came into question because the money is not in the form of cash but “units”.

In March, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told Parliament that 1MDB’s investments had been redeemed and the “money” was placed with BSI Bank.

In May, the answer was amended to state that the investments had been redeemed and were in the form of “units”.

1MDB president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kanda­samy was also reported to have said on foreign media that he had seen the cash.

On this matter, 1MDB denied that Arul Kanda had said he had “seen the cash” and stated that there was a misunderstanding that led to the answer by Najib, who is also Finance Minister, in Parliament.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has emerged as one of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's fiercest supporters, defending the prime minister and the controversies surrounding the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) through his blog.

The Sabah assembly speaker also pulled no punches against retired prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, repeatedly taking to his blog to counter the statesman's criticism on Najib and 1MDB which is sitting on RM42 billion debt.

The Usukan assemblyman is well known in Sabah, having been the state's ninth chief minister in the mid-1990s during Dr Mahathir’s era.

His father, Mohamad Said Keruak, was Sabah's fourth chief minister 20 years earlier and later appointed the state's Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

The Malaysian Insider asked Salleh to explain his defence of Najib. Below are excerpts from his interview:

TMI: Why do you choose to express your opinions through your blog?

A: I choose to give my opinion through my blog because, firstly, I want to express my personal opinion rather than the opinion of Umno or the Sabah government and, secondly, I want to reach out to the younger generation who are going to represent the majority of the voters in the next general election.

There is nothing wrong in having a personal opinion. Everyone has one. But you must make it clear that this is your personal opinion and not that of the party you represent, or the government you serve. So what better way than to do that in a blog? This is me, Salleh talking, not the speaker of the Sabah state assembly or spokesman of Umno.

TMI: In your blog, you have repeatedly defended the prime minister against his critics, who include Dr Mahathir. Why are you doing this? Is it because there are not many ministers and BN leaders defending Najib?

A: The issue is simple. Tun Dr Mahathir cannot seem to agree with all his successors whereas he personally handpicked these successors. The reason Dr Mahathir is angry with Najib is because, according to Dr Mahathir, Najib gives in to Singapore.

That has been repeated many times. I think this is an unfair allegation. Countries must be considerate, civil and courteous to their neighbours. Dr Mahathir is talking as if Malaysia is at war with Singapore.

That is why I defended the prime minister. I think Najib is doing the right thing in discussing with Singapore, before doing something that mutually affects both countries. Can Britain build a tunnel to France unless France also agrees to it? That is the issue.

TMI: Do you think Najib is under siege? Is he misunderstood? Is he a good, capable leader?

A: The opposition will oppose any prime minister from Umno or Barisan Nasional. But now some in Umno have united with the opposition to attack the prime minister. So they are creating an impression that the prime minister is under siege.

Why don’t they try to pass a vote of no-confidence against him in Parliament? Then we will know whether the PM is under siege or not.

Is Naijb misunderstood? Every prime minister since Tunku Abdul Rahman was misunderstood. Even Dr Mahathir was misunderstood. Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher were also misunderstood. I suppose it is natural that all great men/women are misunderstood to some extent. Great people are complicated people so simple people can never understand them. It comes with the territory.

They say that people are judged after they have gone, so maybe we will allow history to answer the question of whether Najib is a capable leader. I believe, however, history would judge Najib positively.

TMI: What is your message to Najib's critics?

A: What message can I give Najib’s critics? If they do not like Najib, they will continue not liking him, never mind what I say. Most have closed minds, which will never open to whatever you may say.

TMI: What do you think of the controversies surrounding 1MDB?

A: Malaysia is facing many issues – economic, security, social, racial, religious, etc. But the way 1MDB is being played up is giving the impression that is the only issue or the most critical issue of all.

Even if 1MDB can be considered a serious problem, it is not the only problem or even the most serious of all. I would rate security, racial, and religion as being above all other problems because if they are not properly handled, they can tear the country apart or cause a great loss of lives.

So that is why I speak about 1MDB. Furthermore, there appears to be a lot of distortion and misconception regarding 1MDB. On the one hand, we want PAC (Public Accounts Committee) to investigate 1MDB and come out with an extensive and thorough report.

On the other hand, even before the investigation and report can be completed, we have already formed an opinion and made up our minds regarding 1MDB. There are even statements such as 1MDB must be considered guilty until and unless it can prove its innocence. This goes against the very grain of justice, which is innocent until proven guilty.

So what are we asking PAC to do? Are we asking PAC to prove that 1MDB is innocent and if it can’t, then we will have to assume it is guilty? Will we put someone on trial for murder and unless that person can prove he or she did not commit the murder we will send him or her to the gallows?

In that case it will be very simple. All PAC has to do is to issue a statement saying that they have investigated 1MDB and they can’t find any evidence that 1MDB is innocent so that means 1MDB must be guilty although there is no evidence of guilt.

In other words, prove that you did not receive any bribes and if you cannot do that then you must have taken bribes even though we have no evidence that you did. That is crazy!

We demand that 1MDB reply to the questions. But when they do we say we do not believe they are telling us the truth. So why demand they reply to our questions, if we are determined that whatever they reply is not true? Don’t ask any questions then. Ask a third party instead of 1MDB to reply. And this third party is PAC.

But they can only reply after they investigate 1MDB first. That is why I talk about 1MDB in my blog. The whole situation has become ridiculous and many are talking irrationally. It is almost like mass hysteria. No one wants to know the truth any longer. They want to hear just one thing: that 1MDB is guilty.

Any statement other than 1MDB is guilty is not acceptable. What is going on? Have we all become mad? Why not just let PAC and 1MDB do their jobs? What we want is for a good job to be done. But we are not allowing that to happen. That is what I am trying to say in my blog.

TMI: With the current imbroglio over 1MDB, won't it be a good idea if Najib rebuts his critics in a forum, dialogue or even a televised Q&A for Malaysians to listen to his points of view rather than being branded a coward for not attending the Nothing to Hide forum on 1MDB?

A: There are many controversies. There is also the controversy of Anwar’s (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) sodomy charges and the controversy of the illegal ICs given to Sabah immigrants during Dr Mahathir’s time.

Did Dr Mahathir agree to a public debate to talk about these? What about the Memali massacre? Can Dr Mahathir agree to debate on that also? Why just pick on 1MDB? The Memali massacre is even more serious, and to us in Sabah, the illegal ICs are the number one problem.

So why just pick on 1MDB? 1MDB is trying to resolve all the issues. Also, PAC has not completed its investigation and report yet. So why disturb everything?

The Nothing to Hide dialogue was supposed to be a dialogue between NGOs and Najib. It was also supposed to be by invitation only. Then they tried to turn it into a Najib-Mahathir debate. That was not was what agreed.

TMI: Issues surrounding 1MDB were brought up as early as two years ago, but the company did not rebut or answer them. Do you think 1MDB should have answered its critics from day one when issue of its mismanagement was brought up instead of keeping quiet and letting it fester until now?

A: The opposition raises so many issues. We cannot reply to every issue the opposition raises. The government is spending too much time just replying and rebutting that we no longer have time to run the country.

It is becoming too ridiculous. Let us allow PAC to reply. After all, whatever 1MDB says is rejected anyway.

TMI: Dr Mahathir has been vocal against Najib on several issues like 1MDB, BR1M (1Malaysia People's Aid), the murder of Altantuya (Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu) and it cannot be denied that his views have influenced Malaysians' views on the prime minister and BN. How damaging are his actions to BN and Najib? What should be done to counter his influence?

A: Dr Mahathir helped the opposition win big in 2008. I suppose Dr Mahathir can still cause more damage to BN in the next election. Let us see what happens.

TMI: The country has also been mired in racial-religious tension since the last general election and the government has been viewed as not doing enough to douse such flames. Do you feel the government is not doing enough to check raging racial religious tensions? What needs to be done to bring us back to harmonious Malaysia where people of all races respected each other?

A: Politicians from both sides of the fence, in particular in (the peninsula), are playing the race and religion card. There is nothing politicians can do if the people do not reject this. So the people need to reject these types of politicians. If not, then they will continue playing race and religion politics. – June 16, 2015.

Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has emerged as one of Datuk Seri Najib Razak's fiercest supporters, defending the prime minister and the controversies surrounding the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) through his blog.

The Sabah assembly speaker also pulled no punches against retired prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, repeatedly taking to his blog to counter the statesman's criticism on Najib and 1MDB which is sitting on RM42 billion debt.

The Usukan assemblyman is well known in Sabah, having been the state's ninth chief minister in the mid-1990s during Dr Mahathir’s era.

His father, Mohamad Said Keruak, was Sabah's fourth chief minister 20 years earlier and later appointed the state's Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

The Malaysian Insider asked Salleh to explain his defence of Najib. Below are excerpts from his interview:

TMI: Why do you choose to express your opinions through your blog?

A: I choose to give my opinion through my blog because, firstly, I want to express my personal opinion rather than the opinion of Umno or the Sabah government and, secondly, I want to reach out to the younger generation who are going to represent the majority of the voters in the next general election.

There is nothing wrong in having a personal opinion. Everyone has one. But you must make it clear that this is your personal opinion and not that of the party you represent, or the government you serve. So what better way than to do that in a blog? This is me, Salleh talking, not the speaker of the Sabah state assembly or spokesman of Umno.

TMI: In your blog, you have repeatedly defended the prime minister against his critics, who include Dr Mahathir. Why are you doing this? Is it because there are not many ministers and BN leaders defending Najib?

A: The issue is simple. Tun Dr Mahathir cannot seem to agree with all his successors whereas he personally handpicked these successors. The reason Dr Mahathir is angry with Najib is because, according to Dr Mahathir, Najib gives in to Singapore.

That has been repeated many times. I think this is an unfair allegation. Countries must be considerate, civil and courteous to their neighbours. Dr Mahathir is talking as if Malaysia is at war with Singapore.

That is why I defended the prime minister. I think Najib is doing the right thing in discussing with Singapore, before doing something that mutually affects both countries. Can Britain build a tunnel to France unless France also agrees to it? That is the issue.

TMI: Do you think Najib is under siege? Is he misunderstood? Is he a good, capable leader?

A: The opposition will oppose any prime minister from Umno or Barisan Nasional. But now some in Umno have united with the opposition to attack the prime minister. So they are creating an impression that the prime minister is under siege.

Why don’t they try to pass a vote of no-confidence against him in Parliament? Then we will know whether the PM is under siege or not.

Is Naijb misunderstood? Every prime minister since Tunku Abdul Rahman was misunderstood. Even Dr Mahathir was misunderstood. Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher were also misunderstood. I suppose it is natural that all great men/women are misunderstood to some extent. Great people are complicated people so simple people can never understand them. It comes with the territory.

They say that people are judged after they have gone, so maybe we will allow history to answer the question of whether Najib is a capable leader. I believe, however, history would judge Najib positively.

TMI: What is your message to Najib's critics?

A: What message can I give Najib’s critics? If they do not like Najib, they will continue not liking him, never mind what I say. Most have closed minds, which will never open to whatever you may say.

TMI: What do you think of the controversies surrounding 1MDB?

A: Malaysia is facing many issues – economic, security, social, racial, religious, etc. But the way 1MDB is being played up is giving the impression that is the only issue or the most critical issue of all.

Even if 1MDB can be considered a serious problem, it is not the only problem or even the most serious of all. I would rate security, racial, and religion as being above all other problems because if they are not properly handled, they can tear the country apart or cause a great loss of lives.

So that is why I speak about 1MDB. Furthermore, there appears to be a lot of distortion and misconception regarding 1MDB. On the one hand, we want PAC (Public Accounts Committee) to investigate 1MDB and come out with an extensive and thorough report.

On the other hand, even before the investigation and report can be completed, we have already formed an opinion and made up our minds regarding 1MDB. There are even statements such as 1MDB must be considered guilty until and unless it can prove its innocence. This goes against the very grain of justice, which is innocent until proven guilty.

So what are we asking PAC to do? Are we asking PAC to prove that 1MDB is innocent and if it can’t, then we will have to assume it is guilty? Will we put someone on trial for murder and unless that person can prove he or she did not commit the murder we will send him or her to the gallows?

In that case it will be very simple. All PAC has to do is to issue a statement saying that they have investigated 1MDB and they can’t find any evidence that 1MDB is innocent so that means 1MDB must be guilty although there is no evidence of guilt.

In other words, prove that you did not receive any bribes and if you cannot do that then you must have taken bribes even though we have no evidence that you did. That is crazy!

We demand that 1MDB reply to the questions. But when they do we say we do not believe they are telling us the truth. So why demand they reply to our questions, if we are determined that whatever they reply is not true? Don’t ask any questions then. Ask a third party instead of 1MDB to reply. And this third party is PAC.

But they can only reply after they investigate 1MDB first. That is why I talk about 1MDB in my blog. The whole situation has become ridiculous and many are talking irrationally. It is almost like mass hysteria. No one wants to know the truth any longer. They want to hear just one thing: that 1MDB is guilty.

Any statement other than 1MDB is guilty is not acceptable. What is going on? Have we all become mad? Why not just let PAC and 1MDB do their jobs? What we want is for a good job to be done. But we are not allowing that to happen. That is what I am trying to say in my blog.

TMI: With the current imbroglio over 1MDB, won't it be a good idea if Najib rebuts his critics in a forum, dialogue or even a televised Q&A for Malaysians to listen to his points of view rather than being branded a coward for not attending the Nothing to Hide forum on 1MDB?

A: There are many controversies. There is also the controversy of Anwar’s (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) sodomy charges and the controversy of the illegal ICs given to Sabah immigrants during Dr Mahathir’s time.

Did Dr Mahathir agree to a public debate to talk about these? What about the Memali massacre? Can Dr Mahathir agree to debate on that also? Why just pick on 1MDB? The Memali massacre is even more serious, and to us in Sabah, the illegal ICs are the number one problem.

So why just pick on 1MDB? 1MDB is trying to resolve all the issues. Also, PAC has not completed its investigation and report yet. So why disturb everything?

The Nothing to Hide dialogue was supposed to be a dialogue between NGOs and Najib. It was also supposed to be by invitation only. Then they tried to turn it into a Najib-Mahathir debate. That was not was what agreed.

TMI: Issues surrounding 1MDB were brought up as early as two years ago, but the company did not rebut or answer them. Do you think 1MDB should have answered its critics from day one when issue of its mismanagement was brought up instead of keeping quiet and letting it fester until now?

A: The opposition raises so many issues. We cannot reply to every issue the opposition raises. The government is spending too much time just replying and rebutting that we no longer have time to run the country.

It is becoming too ridiculous. Let us allow PAC to reply. After all, whatever 1MDB says is rejected anyway.

TMI: Dr Mahathir has been vocal against Najib on several issues like 1MDB, BR1M (1Malaysia People's Aid), the murder of Altantuya (Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu) and it cannot be denied that his views have influenced Malaysians' views on the prime minister and BN. How damaging are his actions to BN and Najib? What should be done to counter his influence?

A: Dr Mahathir helped the opposition win big in 2008. I suppose Dr Mahathir can still cause more damage to BN in the next election. Let us see what happens.

TMI: The country has also been mired in racial-religious tension since the last general election and the government has been viewed as not doing enough to douse such flames. Do you feel the government is not doing enough to check raging racial religious tensions? What needs to be done to bring us back to harmonious Malaysia where people of all races respected each other?

A: Politicians from both sides of the fence, in particular in (the peninsula), are playing the race and religion card. There is nothing politicians can do if the people do not reject this. So the people need to reject these types of politicians. If not, then they will continue playing race and religion politics.

1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) has debunked various claims by
former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed in two blog entries
entitled “The 1MDB Story” and “More Investments By 1MDB”.

Among
others, were issues relating to Terengganu Investment Authority’s
(TIA) money, purchase of land as well as a joint-venture with PetroSaudi
and RM2bil said to be borrowed from billionaire, Ananda Krishnan.

“There was no attempt to hijack TIA money,” said 1MDB in a statement on Tuesday.

In
2009, various discussions were held between the Federal Government and
the Terengganu state government on how each party would provide its
share of funding for the TIA, whereby a number of options were
discussed, it said.

Eventually, the Federal
Government’s contribution consisted of it guaranteeing a RM5bil sukuk
issuance by the TIA, which happened on May29, 2015.

In a statement on Tuesday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (pic) said the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) accepted the PAS muktamar’s motion to sever ties with DAP and effectively, that Pakatan Rakyat has ceased to exist.

“As Pakatan Rakyat was formed by the three parties based on consensus and bound by the Common Policy Framework, the PAS Muktamar’s motion effectively killed off Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat therefore ceases to exist,” he said.

The decision was made during a CEC meeting on Monday night.

Lim claimed that the pact had come to near-paralysis several times during the past year because PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang violated decisions agreed upon at Pakatan’s leadership meetings.

He said the near-paralysis was exacerbated by Hadi’s willingness to forge a unity government with Umno and his support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, even after it was revealed that Lembaga Tabung Haji funds were used to purchase land from 1MDB.

Lim said that DAP will work with PKR and all other forces who wanted to see the end of Umno/Barisan Nasional’s one-party rule.Pakatan was formed in April 2008, in the wake of the 12th general election.

Several Barisan Nasional MPs have urged Lembaga Tabung Haji to keep the parcel of land it bought from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) as it could appreciate in value.

“From a businessman’s point of view, perhaps it is better not to sell the land first. What’s wrong with keeping the land if it could appreciate in value?” Liang Teck Meng (BN-Simpang Renggam) said during a minister’s winding up speech for the debate on the 11th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) added Tabung Haji is not a RM2 company, implying that it has vast experience in investments.

“Don’t sell the land because if we keep it, we stand to gain from it as it will increase in price,” he said of the parcel of land located at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX).

Amran Ab Ghani (BN-Tanah Merah) also urged for Tabung Haji to reconsider selling the land, saying that those who criticised the decision had ill intentions.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said he would take note of the MPs calls and convey them to the Tabung Haji board to review.

He said all investments are made based on business transactions and not from orders from him or the Government.

Earlier, to a question by Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) on the update of offers to buy the TRX land, the minister said Tabng Haji was still evaluating the best offers.“When we sell the land, we do not just want a return of our capital but we want to make a profit,” he said.

Monday, June 15, 2015

The Auditor-General has completed an interim report following its probe on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the A-G would be able to table the report to the committee by the end of this month.

“The PAC will consider the findings of the interim report once it is presented to us,” the Nur Jazlan told reporters Monday in Parliament.

He added, however, that as the report is not final, the PAC would not make it public.

No date has been fixed for the presentation of the report to the PAC, Nur Jazlan said.

On another matter, he said the PAC would be calling the Agriculture Ministry to explain why it did not complete its projects on time with regard the RM2.12bil Integrated Aquaculture project under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA).

He said this includes calling the ministry's chief secretary, who is also the financial controller, to explain why he signed off on contracts worth RM100mil when it was supposed to be signed by the minister.

"We are also calling Universiti Pertahanan, Universiti Malaya and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia over poor financial management in light of the government's intention of making this institution fully autonomous."The Maritime Enforcement Agency under the Prime Minister's Department will also be called by us over poor maintenance of its boats and ships patrolling the waters in Sabah involving RM231mil," he said.

It is the job of the police to investigate reports made by any member of the public, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in response to being probed over his “challenge” against the Tunku Mahkota of Johor.

“I am not above the law. We must allow for the process to go on. When there is a report by any member of the public, it is incumbent of the Inspector-General of Police to do his job,” said the Tourism and Culture Minister to The Star Online.

On Monday, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said Nazri would be investigated under Section 505B of the Penal Code following his remark against Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, which could cause alarm to the public.

Nazri’s statement will also be recorded.

Asked about the matter, Nazri said “IGP is right to say that he must investigate”.

Last Saturday, Nazri told Tunku Ismail to stay out of politics unless he wants to be subjected to the same rule and be “whacked”.

“But if you hold an important post – as a royal in a state – and start saying things, if we hit you back, don’t get angry,” he told reporters in reference to Tunku Ismail’s remark against the Prime Minister for not attending a dialogue on national issues last week.According to Khalid, several police reports have been lodged against Nazri since he made the statement.

“Lately, two of them (DAP and PAS) have been fighting and wanted to cut ties with each other, yet they are still sleeping in one bed and staying under one roof,” he said.

Dr Wee added that it was also strange that Pakatan could not solve its existing problems yet still welcomed a new party to join the coalition. “Isn’t it weird to suddenly have an outsider come into the picture?

“And how will things get done at the meeting table when DAP and PAS are not speaking to each other; while DAP is friends with PasMa? Wouldn’t that be strange?” he said after launching the Pasir Gu­­dang MCA division annual general meeting.

It was reported that PasMa, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), mainly comprising PAS supporters unhappy with the Islamist party’s leadership, announced that it would set up a new party with other pro-Pakatan NGOs and individuals.

Reports also said Azmin, the Selangor Mentri Besar, invited PasMa to join Pakatan as long as it shared the same ideals and common policies framework.

Dr Wee, also Johor MCA liaison committee chairman, said it was obvious that DAP and PAS wanted to remain in Pakatan for their own benefit, which was to retain their governmental posts.

On a separate matter, Dr Wee said MCA was confident of winning back the Johor Jaya state seat, which the party lost to DAP by a majority of about 1,400 in the last general election.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has given his commitment that the 1MDB issue can be resolved “in a matter of months”.

The Prime Minister, who asked for time and patience, said the issue had been twisted to the extent that some felt the country was in a financial crisis when the facts proved otherwise.

Speaking to an audience of more than 1,500 people including Umno division information chiefs and representatives of several NGOs at the Putra World Trade Centre, the party president said he was willing to provide information to anyone on the issue.

NGOs invited to the June 5 forum, which was cancelled, were also invited to the briefing.

The session between the Najib and NGOs, organised by SukaGuam, was cancelled due to security concerns.

Earlier yesterday, Najib held another closed-door session with division secretaries at the party training centre in Janda Baik, which was also attended by vice-presidents Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

During the 90-minute briefing on critical issues of the day, Najib also explained on the attacks against him by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the current economic climate and future outlook.

Also present at the session were representatives from the Economic Planning Unit and 1MDB.

Selangor Youth Council president Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim said Najib’s explanation was very clear.

“He gave a very lengthy explanation and he was very serious on the matter. He also assured us that his leadership would never compromise on any wrongdoing by any party with regards to the 1MDB issue.

“He also reminded Umno members not to allow the social media to become a judgment tool by the masses,” said the Kuala Selangor Member of Parliament.

Temerloh Umno division chief Datuk Seri Sharkar Shamsudin said Najib told them that he had no issue with Dr Mahathir and was willing to provide the former prime minister with information on 1MDB.

“The president talked about the importance of party unity and that instead of fighting each other, Umno should leverage on the conflict that is happening in the Opposition pact,” he said.

Umno Youth information chief Jamawi Jaafar said Najib had assured the crowd that 1MDB would be resolved within the next few months.

Head of Malay Unity Action Body Hasan Hamzah said the Prime Minister explained the facts regarding key transactions made by 1MDB and it was clear that it was much different from the picture that the social media and the Opposition were trying to portray about the fund.

“The Prime Minister admitted that it takes time and asked the public to give some time so that he can resolve whatever issues that 1MDB is facing,” he said.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

There is no issue of political interference in Deloitte’s audit of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) owing to the prime minister’s son’s tenure in the firm.

Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters in Parliament on Wednesday that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s son Nizar Najib had no connection with the audit although he had been working at the firm since 2004.

“He is not with the audit section but is attached with the financial services section and not involved in 1MDB audit.

Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has accused Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of not being willing to accept any explanation on the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) issue.

The Sabah Legislative Assembly Speaker said that the former premier would not be satisfied unless the Prime Minister steps down.

"Dr Mahathir has so many suspicions and questions but when answers are given, he rejects them and calls them lies. So what more does he expect?" said Dr Salleh Said on his blog, on Tuesday.

"When you do not reply, he implies something is wrong but when you reply, he calls them lies. The only thing that can satisfy Dr Mahathir is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s resignation. Anything short of that is not acceptable."

He said the veteran statesman should lodge reports with the police and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission and prove any wrongdoings at 1MDB.

"He can hand in all the evidence that he has to prove wrongdoings in 1MDB.

"It is time that Dr Mahathir stop asking questions and instead, gives us the answers to those questions since only his answers are acceptable and everyone else’s are not. And he can give the police and MACC those answers to help them in their investigation," he said.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Four individuals are seeking to stop PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Parliament from tabling a Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 at any Parliament sitting.

Mansoor Saat, Azira Aziz, Hasbeemaputra Abu Bakar and Hazwany Jamaluddin want the defendants to retract their plan or be prevented from continuing the discussions over the proposed amendments at any of its sessions.

The injunction application, filed last Thursday, is fixed for case management at a High Court here on June 12, said their lawyer Siti Kasim.

The plaintiffs also filed a main suit on June 4 naming the same parties as defendants.

In the main lawsuit, they are seeking for a declaration that if the amendments were approved then it would be unlawful, invalid and in contradiction with various Articles of the Federal Constitution, which among others guarantee on liberty of the person, equality and protection against retrospective criminal laws.

Among others, they want to get a declaration that the tabling of the amendment by Hadi at any Parliament sittings would be a breach of the terms of Pakatan Rakyat's common policy framework Buku Jingga agreedon Dec 19, 2010.

They are also applying to get any related relief from the court.

In an affidavit-in-support of their main suit, their representative Mansoor, 61, said that Hadi had on March 18 given a letter to the Dewan Rakyat secretary to table a private members bill over theproposed amendment to the said Act at a Parliament sitting.

Mansoor said he believed that the attempts to amend the Act was unconstitutional.

He said any approval by the Dewan Rakyat speaker and his deputies for the Bill to be discussed by parliamentarians and subsequent approval of the proposed law would violate their rights.

He said they would have to face different punishment from other non-Muslim Malaysians under the proposed amendments, reflecting that they will not enjoy equal rights like others.

Besides that, he said that it will have a tendency to effect on the jurisdiction of the high court (superior courts) and syariah court (inferior courts).

He said that certain new provisions were wrong in law, confusing and may be used to upgrade the jurisdiction of the syariah court.

He said he believed that Hadi's action was a breach of promise made to his voters.

Asked by reporters here, Siti said that the main suit has been fixed for case management at a High Court here on June 18.

Najib arrived at Tengku Razaleigh's residence at 8.30am and was there for about 10 minutes.

Met by reporters before leaving the residence at Jalan Langgak Golf here, the Prime Minister said Noor Yvonne's death was a great loss for Tengku Razaleigh.

"She had given a lot of support to Tengku Razaleigh. Her death is a loss deeply felt by Tengku Razaleigh. May her soul be blessed," he added.

Noor Yvonne, 68, who suffered from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, died at 7.05pm at a medical centre in Subang Jaya.She was buried at the Jalan Ampang Muslim cemetery after the funeral prayer at 10.30am.

"Tun Mahathir was not personally invited, and he was gentlemanly enough to admit that when he showed up this morning.

"He felt that he needed to attend the dialogue to speak about pertinent issues and to meet the people, so we welcomed him," Khairul told reporters at the Putra World Trade Centre, Friday.

The SukaGuam chairman said he did not know that Dr Mahathir was asked to start speaking to the gathered crowd, claiming that the instruction did not come from the organisers.

"No, I am not aware as I was ushered out of the hall by police before that, when the commotion started taking place.

"I will have to check with my colleagues as to who gave that instruction," Khairul said.

Dr Mahathir had started speaking in Najib's stead when he was stopped midway through his speech by police.

Khairul said the Prime Minister did not attend the dialogue session on the advice of the police who had cancelled the event over security reasons.

The session was to allow Najib to answer the public's queries on 1Malaysia Development Berhad among other issues.

He said the organisers were also advised by the police to postpone the event after a commotion broke out outside the Dewan Tun Hussein Onn hall following Dr Mahathir’s arrival.

"The organisers would like to put on record that this event had been given the go ahead, and the Prime Minister had agreed to attend.

"However, it is regrettable that some provocative actions had taken place, and in the end, an event which was supposed to be calm and meaningful went out of control," Khairul said.

He said the organisers remained determined to hold the event at a later date, and would be in touch with the Prime Minister to reschedule.

"We will also beef up security so that untoward incidents do not recur," Khairul added.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Department said in a statement that Najib had decided against attending the function after being advised by the Inspector-General of Police of "security issues on location".

"Based on the directive and advice of the Inspector-General of Police, the Prime Minister could not attend the programme," it said.

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Tolerating intolerance

Intolerance is rampant at every level and in all age groups of the society, but it is more visible amongst the younger generation as our youth can be seen losing their altitude of patience over petty issues. We seriously need to think over it as what we are going to inculcate in them, which may help them seek success in future. Will it be tolerance or intolerance?

By Samra Arshad

International Conference "Expose War Crimes – Criminalise War"

“Wars increasingly involve the killings of innocent people and are therefore, abhorrent and criminal. Killings in war are as criminal as the killings within societies in times of peace. Since killings in peace time are subject to the domestic law of crime, killings in war must likewise be subject to the international law of crimes. This should be so irrespective of whether these killings in war are authorised or permitted by domestic laws.”